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Strange announcment but since I just asked.....

I posted a question about when is the right time to have Fletcher fixed. Well I was concern mainly because he has one undeceded testicle, the surgery was going to be a little different. Well I was just brushing Fletcher and clipping his nails and yes I noticed he has a little sack forming. My vet showed me how to check for the "missing" testicle. HE HAS TWO!!!! I know its a very weird thing to be telling you all but I was worried about it after I read all about the potential risks of leaving an undesended testicle, which I wasn't going to do. I'm still going to have him neutered just a few days before he turns 6 months tho, we already have the appt. and I know I can be home the whole week.

I know this forum is full of doggie Mommy's and Daddy's who's little angles have are dealing with "real" medical problems/concerns/treatments, so I do not mean any harm by posting something so trivial. Given the fact that I know NOTHING about Fletcher's parents or where he came from, I truly watch him like a hawk and enjoy every "normal healthy" day we have.

You all know me a little by now so again please excuse my twisted sense of humor when I say I was happy to find Fletcher indeed has TWO desended testicles!!!

I never in my life thought I would ever post an update about my dog's testicles online

They can come down quite late so this isn't abnormal. At least it makes it an easier surgery, as it's much less invasive.

Personally I don't like neutering them until after a year so that they have finished growing but I think in the US you may do it earlier? Also you have to be able to manage an entire dog until that age - no spayed bitches around the area.

They can come down quite late so this isn't abnormal. At least it makes it an easier surgery, as it's much less invasive.

Personally I don't like neutering them until after a year so that they have finished growing but I think in the US you may do it earlier? Also you have to be able to manage an entire dog until that age - no spayed bitches around the area.

Nicki, yes the standard opinion in the US is 6 months. At least that's what several vets have told me. I scheduled the surgery for Fletcher after speaking to my vet about the undesended testicle, her opinion was earlier was better. But I am going to keep the appointment, even after talking to her again this afternoon. I am grateful for the less invasive surgery tho.

Well that is good news, as we thought that he would be "shy" Guess he will be two shy soon!

Chuck, Cooper and Nina
Shelter dogs aren't broken. They've simply experienced more life than other dogs. If they were human, we would call them wise. They would be the ones with tales to tell and stories to write. Do not pity a shelter dog. Adopt one.

Nicki, yes the standard opinion in the US is 6 months. At least that's what several vets have told me.

I disagree - that is the "out-dated" thinking in the US. If you read various dog sites, veterinary sites, breeder sites, etc., the "newer" thinking is that it is better to not neuter/spay at a young age for many, many health reasons. Dogs need their hormones to fully develop - including waiting for the bone plates to close and now there may be some value to cardiac health also. I'm so glad that my current two Cavaliers were neutered/spayed at much older ages than dogs that I owned 15-20 years ago. I would now never alter a pet at 6 months or even a year.

I'd suggest that you do some independent study rather than just listen to a couple of vets. That thinking is outdated, and many vets just don't keep up their continuing education hours. This is similar to the new thinking about vaccinations, diet, etc. - some vets still do what they did 20 years ago. Things change, and many vets don't keep up with current research and rely on what they learned in vet school when dinosaurs were still roaming the earth.

I always like to do independent research on these topics. For example, I stopped annual vaccinations in 1997, and my vet (a good friend) thought that I'd lost my mind. So NOW she recommends the same protocol that I've done for 15 years. It takes a long time for mainstream veterinary medicine to catch up to the cutting edge veterinary specialists/research. This is also why most US vets know zip about SM. If you have a vet that recommends annual vaccinations for life, neutering at 6 months, and commercial kibble as the only diet option - you know that you have a vet that is not very good.

I disagree - that is the "out-dated" thinking in the US. If you read various dog sites, veterinary sites, breeder sites, etc., the "newer" thinking is that it is better to not neuter/spay at a young age for many, many health reasons. Dogs need their hormones to fully develop - including waiting for the bone plates to close and now there may be some value to cardiac health also. I'm so glad that my current two Cavaliers were neutered/spayed at much older ages than dogs that I owned 15-20 years ago. I would now never alter a pet at 6 months or even a year.

I'd suggest that you do some independent study rather than just listen to a couple of vets. That thinking is outdated, and many vets just don't keep up their continuing education hours. This is similar to the new thinking about vaccinations, diet, etc. - some vets still do what they did 20 years ago. Things change, and many vets don't keep up with current research and rely on what they learned in vet school when dinosaurs were still roaming the earth.

I always like to do independent research on these topics. For example, I stopped annual vaccinations in 1997, and my vet (a good friend) thought that I'd lost my mind. So NOW she recommends the same protocol that I've done for 15 years. It takes a long time for mainstream veterinary medicine to catch up to the cutting edge veterinary specialists/research. This is also why most US vets know zip about SM. If you have a vet that recommends annual vaccinations for life, neutering at 6 months, and commercial kibble as the only diet option - you know that you have a vet that is not very good.

Pat

You are free to disagree but it is the standard answer "the public" gets when they ask this question in the US. I appreciate and value all opinions I get for CT however, your suggestion that I have not done my own research on this topic is a little offensive. I for one am not an advocate for blindly following "popular" options, I feel my vet and I choose together the best treatment for me and my animals. I fully understand you know a great deal about the health of our beloved cavaliers, if you choose to share any of your knowledge with me in the future could you please just remember to remain polite.